ATHENS — The Georgia-Florida game highlights this Saturday’s slate of SEC action at 3:30 p.m., but LSU coach Lane Kiffin is more concerned with next week’s game times.
Kiffin, specifically, is upset the Bulldogs game at Ole Miss was selected to be played under the lights in Oxford at 7:30 p.m. (eastern time) on Nov. 7 rather than the Tigers home game with Alabama.
“I didn’t even think to think about the time,” Kiffin said on the SEC coaches teleconference when asked about the LSU-Alabama game being slotted for a 3:30 p.m. kick. “I just assumed, especially since the last 16 years, this game has been at night here all the time. I guess that’s probably naive of me.”
The three highest-rated college football TV audiences this season kicked off in ABC’s 7:30 p.m. slot:
• Ohio State at Texas, 13.99 million
• Georgia at Alabama, 12.24 million
• LSU at Ole Miss, 10.90 million
Many programs, particularly LSU, feel there’s more of a home field advantages when a team hosts a game at night, as crowd noise tends to be louder.
“Having played on the other side (at LSU) the night is electric and kind of intimidating here,” Kiffin told Barstool Sports when asked if he preferred night games at Tiger Stadium. “And it’s interesting that all the sudden for the first time since 2010 Alabama is coming to LSU and not playing at night.
“There’s a lot of people around here upset about it and complaining, and I said I don’t think we got a lot of people around the SEC really rooting for LSU this year after what’s transpired, I don’t think we’re going to get a lot of favors.”
The SEC has a federal lawsuit pending against Kiffin and LSU related to the school’s attempt to sign players who did not complete their full collegiate eligibility and had started pro careers before the NCAA approved the new “5-in-5” rule in June.
“I was joking to [LSU SID Michael Bonnette] earlier, saying obviously the SEC wanted to change it from how it’s been to give LSU less of an advantage because of how well LSU plays at night and how intimidating it is to play here,” Kiffin said.
“I was like, ‘If someone thinks the SEC wants us to win this year after what’s been going on, they must’ve just been on Mars the last four months.’”
LSU is one of many SEC teams in contention to play in what will likely be the final SEC Championship Game, along with its status as a contender to make the 12-team College Football Playoff.
Interestingly enough, Mississippi State at Texas is this week’s SEC game at 7:30 p.m. game, but it will be on ESPN.
The ABC slot will be filled by No. 1 Miami playing at North Carolina.
Georgia-Florida, the most compelling SEC game this week, has maintained its traditional 3:30 p.m. kickoff time with ABC after being broadcast in that time slot for years on CBS.
Here’s a look at this week’s SEC game times and TV channels with picks:
Auburn at Ole Miss -12.5, 12:45 p.m., SEC Network
Pick: Ole Miss 30, Auburn 21
Florida vs. Georgia -12.5, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Pick: Georgia 38, Florida 24
South Carolina at Oklahoma -4.5, 4:15 p.m., SEC Network
Pick: Oklahoma 23, South Carolina 17
Mississippi State at Texas -20.5, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Pick: Texas 34, Mississippi State 10
Missouri -9.5 at Arkansas, 7:45 p.m., SEC Network
Missouri 31, Arkansas 24
Overall: 38-11 straight-up, 25-24 vs. spread
